Multiple cylinder tank car



Filed April 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

a 3, 1937. H. D. EDWARDS 2,089,019

MULTIPLE CYLINDER TANK CAR Filed April 1, 1951 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 ill 0 I INVENTOR:

BY ATTORNEYS The advantages of my invention will be evi- Patented Aug. 3, 1937 I I STAES PATENT- OFFICE mmm cnmnnn TANK can Barry D; Edwards, Larchmont, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Union Carbide and gargon Corporation, a corporation of New Application A pril 1, 1931, Serial Nb. 526,974

Claims. (cries-36o) This invention relates to a multiple cylinder tion 4 between two annular ribs 5 which are tankvehicle as for example a railroad car, and slightly larger in diameter than the body of the has particular reference to a car carrying a plucylinder. The grooved portion 4 is slightly smallrality of cylinders of the type used as containers er in diameter than the body' of the cylinder and 5 for compressed fluids, for example, oxygen. is of such width as to engage theribbed 'portion In the transportation of cylinders of this form of a similar collar on another cylinder when the it has been customary to carry a number of. two are placed side by side in the position shown them in a permanently flxed position on a suitin F r Small Sections of ribs 5 are able type of freight car, in which each cylinder sli t y fla d at pp sides. 88 S o in i separately supported and braced in a quite Figure 4, in order that two or more cylinders may rigid mannerto prevent shifting of theload when be Placed in alignment with each Other when the car is subjected to sudden shock, This nedesired and Still have'their body portions in concessitates a heavy and cumbersome framework tact. This feature is f importance in arranging which materially adds to the weight of the car, the cylinders fo s p a d imparts to the load a high center of gravity. After placing a collar of this nature on one t is an object of my invention to provide a car. comparatively light in weight which, with the load, has the low center of gravity attainable by reducing to a minimum the amount of bracing framework required.

Another object is to eliminate entirely all rigi bracing mechanism, and provide means for transporting a plurality of cylinders in an easily demountable manner.

A further object is to provide a car having cushioning means thereon adapted to relieve lengthwise strain on the load due to sudden stopping and jolting of the car.

These and other objects are'attained by providing, as a part of each individual cylinder,

means for interlocking the cylinders one with another said means also cooperating with mechanism on the car body to restrain lengthwise movement of the entire load.

cylinder tank car may be built up in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2. A car having a flat body member 6 is sufilciently long to accommodate two cylinder lengths and two complete piles of twenty-one cylinders each. The cylinders are piles toward each other the center portion of the car body, and each up is supported and braced in the same manner. By arranging the cylinders in a triangular pile with the upper cylinders setting in the interstices between each pair of lower cylinders it is comparatively easy to prevent their lateral movement. The weight of the cylinders alone tends to hold the upper ones in place, and the side blocks ll engaging the outside cylinders of the bottom row will act to laterally hold all of them in position.

The interlocking collars function primarily to restrain longitudinal movement of the cylinders. It will be noted that the bottom row of cylinders is in alignment with each other and the groove in the collar of each cylinder engages with a dent from a description "of the accompanying drawings showing one modification thereof, wherein v Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a tank car embodying the invention, with a small section broken away to show the cushioning means. Fig. 2 is a view on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows in detail the interlocking collar and the manner in which the collars engage. d Fig. 4 is a view of the collar end of the cylin-' ers.

Reference numeral l indicates a cylinder having the conventional form of cylindrical body Each end of the cylinder has,a necked portion provided with an enlarged beveled portion 2.

Fitting snugly within this beveled portion and the slope of the neck, and rigidly attached to the neck, is the interlocking collar 3. In the form shown the collar is attached to only one end of each'cylinder. This collar has a grooved pmtending laterally across the car body. The ribbed portions of each collar engage the grooves 9 on either side of the strip 8. The second row of row so that the collars of the two rows may interlock in the manner shown in Figure 3. The third row is again set forward in vertical alignment with the bottom row. By thus vertically staggering the rows and placing each horizontal row of cylinders in alignment with each other, all of the cylinders are interlocked one with another and the entire pile is interlocked with the body of the car. Each cylinder interlocks with one or more other cylinders with the exception of the two outside bottom ones of the triangle, and these each engage one upper cylinder andthe end of all cylinders ready for shipment, a multiple slightly raised portion8 of the member '1, ex-- placed with the interlocking collars of the two ,cylinders is set back slightly from-the bottom floor of the car. The collars lock at their top and bottom sections only, since it is necessary to flat-- ten small portions of the ribs 5, as previously explained, to permit horizontal alignment of each row of cylinders. This engagement of the' collars is sumcient however to brace the entire load, since each collar is so constructed that the strain imposed thereon is transmitted to the body of the cylinder without setting up any material bending action .in the neck of the cylinder.

The weight of a group of cylinders of this number acts to lock and hold the entire load, but it also imparts considerable momentum to the load in travel. In order to relieve the strain caused by emergency stopping or other sudden jolting of the car, I prefer to cushion the section I of the of place, andthey consist preferably of cables which have sufllcient resiliency to permit the above mentioned limited lengthwise movement of the pile against the cushioning springs It.

The car body and its load arranged as described cooperate with each other to form a multiple ,cylinder tank car unit having a very' low, cente'r of gravity, which, in conjunction with the lack" of absolutely rigid bracing mechanism, provides a car havingeasier and safer riding qualities than those heretofore used in similar transportation. Furthermore the entire cylinder 1 load may be easily removed, whenever desired, by loosening the anguIar bracing members I I.

It will be evident that the number of cylinders which may be carried in this manner on one car will vary with the size of the-cylinder. While I prefer to arrange each group of cylinders in a triangular form, they may also be arranged in attachable collar, which is formed as a unit-with,

other formations in which the interlocking means will be equally efiective. -The particular interlocking collar shown is attached as a separate ,piece to ,the cylinder, but means other than an or part of, the cylinder body may also be found suitable. Various other modifications in the em- ,bodiment shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my inven- 5 tion.

'-'Iclaim: Y Y

1. A multiple cylinder tank car comprising a flat body, member; a plurality of cylinders on said body member, said cylinders being-arranged in a pile of triangular form with the upper cylinders resting in the interstices formed between pairs of lower cylinders; means on each of said cylinders adapted to directly interlock with similar means on an adjacent cylinder to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the cylinders;

means on the body member to prevent lateral movement of the cylinders; and means forming a part of the floor of the body member for engaging the interlocking means of the bottom row of said cylinders to prevent longitudinal movement of 2. A multiple cylinder tank car comprising'a flat body member; a plurality of cylinders on said body member; said cylinders being arranged in a pile of triangular form with the upper cylinders resting in the interstices formed between each pair of lower cylinders; a grooved collar on one end of each of said cylinders adapted to interlock with the collar on an adjacent cylinder to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the cylinders;

side blocks on the body member to prevent lateral 3. A multiple cylinder. tank car comprising a I flat body member: a plurality of cylinders on said body member; said cylinders being arranged in a triangular'pile with the upper cylinders resting in the interstices formed between each pair of lower cylinders; a grooved collar on one end of each of said cylinders adapted to interlock with the collar on an adjacent cylinder to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the cylinders; side blocks on the body member engaging the two outside bottom cylinders to prevent lateral movement thereof; flexible angularly disposed bracing members anchored at one end. to the body member and engaging both ends of the three top cylinders; a raised laterally extending ridge on the floor of said body member adapted to engage the grooved collarion the bottom row of cylinders to normally prevent longitudinal movement of the pile; and a cushioning means associated with said ridge to permit a limited longitudinal movement of the pile when the car is subjected to severe shock. I

4. A fluid pressure container comprising a cylindrical body having a necked portion at the end thereof, and a collar on said necked portion,

said collar having a groove therein'and other portions permitting it to engage with a similar collar on another container placed in side by side relation therewith.

5. A fluid pressure cylinder having a necked portion at the'end thereof, and a collar attached tosaid necked portion, said collar having an annular groove therein between two ribs whose outer peripheryis of slightly greater diameter than the body of the cylinder, whereby the ribs may engage with the grooved portion of a similar collar on a cylinder placed adjacent therctowith the sides in contact.

6.' A fluid pressure cylinder having a necked portion at the end and an interlocking collar on said necked portion, said collar having an annular groove therein between two ribs with an outer periphery slightly greater in diameter than the body of the cylinder and of such width as to .permit them to engage with the grooved portion of a similar collar, whereby a plurality of cylinders carrying suchcollars may be piled lengthwise adjacent to one another and be interlocked at their ends to prevent relative longitudinal,

movement thereof.,

7. A fluid pressure container comprising cylindrical body having a removable collar thereon adapted to engage with a similar removable collar on another container placed in juxtaposition thereto, whereby a plurality of said containers will interlock one with another when arranged in a lengthwise adjacent position to prevent relative longitudinal movement thereof.

8. In combination, a'plurality of cylinders and means for connecting them in lengthwise adjacent position in groups for shipment comprising collars securely connected with the cylinders and having parts interengaging with like parts of collars on other cylinders.

9. In combination, a plurality of cylinders and means for connecting them in, lengthwise adjacent position in groups for shipment, comprising collars secured one to each cylinder and having circumferentlally extending, spaced flanges lnterengageable with similar flanges on other contiguous cylinders. I I

10. In combination a plurality of cylinders, means for connecting them in lengthwise adjacent position in groups for shipment comprising collars securely connected with the cylinders and having parts interengaging with like parts of collars on other cylinders, and means for yieldably securing a group of cylinders so connected to a vehicle.

HARRY ID. EDWARDS. 

